This invention relates to body support apparatus, and more particularly, to spinal column supporting implements which in use are located in erect positions so as to relieve the pressure of the body weight of the user on the user's spinal column and related tissue in the immediate area surrounding the spinal column.
Many people suffer from back problem pain, whether acute, chronic or fatiguing. Back pain usually results from compression of the spinal column and the related tissue in the immediate area surrounding the spinal column. The compression is the result of the normal function of the spinal column in supporting body weight. When the compression becomes abnormal or excessive, severe back pain results.
Back pain tends to become most pronounced when a person is required to remain in a sitting position for a long period, and most particularly when seated in an automotive seat, an office chair or other seat because such seats generally are not designed to provide proper support for the body. When a person remains seated for a long period of time, there is a tendency for the upper body to slump due to fatigue, or poor posture, aggravating the problem. Further, some persons, because of sickness or weakness from other causes, find it difficult or painful to support the upper portion of their body in an erect position for extended periods of time.
Various devices have been proposed by the prior art to mechanically support a portion of the body weight which is normally physically supported by the spinal column when the body is in a sitting position. Generally, such support devices take the form of a pair of vertically extending support members, each of which carries an armrest at its upper end, with the lower ends being commonly connected to a support frame or individually attached to the chair occupied by the user. In use, the support members are placed on each side of the user and individually adjusted so that the armrests fit snugly beneath the armpits of the user. By using such support devices, the weight of the body is not borne totally by the spinal column, but largely borne by the underarms, and the amount of the weight borne by the support can be adjusted according to the desires of the user.
The best support is provided when the support members extend vertically. However, known body support devices have either had their bottom ends attached to a support frame or directly attached to the chair, and such arrangements require that the support assembly be designed or modified for the person who will be using it. Moreover, although the bottom ends of the support members may be pivotally attached to the frame or to the chair, allowing the user to move, as when the person leans forward or turns slightly sideways, when the person returns to the initial position, the support members may not. As a result, the person will again have to shift positions to find the most comfortable position. A further shortcoming of known body support arrangements is that the armrest is designed to engage the armpits resulting in considerable pressure at the middle of the armpits and an attendant tendency of numbness occurring in the arms. The foregoing problems tend to counteract the advantages of the body support device because while alleviating back pain on the one hand, these prior art devices may cause other problems such as discomfort in seating.